1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to dental tools for removing plaque and more specifically to disposable dental tools for use by a dental professional or a single patient only.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention
Traditionally, dentists have purchased reusable dental tools for removing plaque. Such tools are typically purchased in an unsterilized state and the tools are sterilized prior to use on each patient. lf the sterilization process is not performed correctly, the possibility arises that infection may spread from one patient to another. This is particularly undesirable when the form of infection is a herpes, hepatitis, or other presently uncurable virus, such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, commonly known as AIDS.
The inventors of the subject invention recognized that one method of preventing infections from being passed from one patient to another is to use disposable dental tools for single-patient use only. However, dental tools currently on the market for professionally removing plaque are relatively expensive and are not amenable to single-patient use.
One relatively inexpensive tool for removing plaque is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,934 to Salam issued May 22, 1984. This tool is intended for nonprofessional use only. The tool is basically a toothbrush with a tapered blade made of a plastic material mounted at the end of the tooth brush. The blade consists of a blunt apex folded about a base-to-apex line and inclined to the axis of the handle to allow outer teeth surfaces as well as spaces in between teeth to be scraped to remove plaque and tartar.
Another dental tool for personal hygiene is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,548 issued Apr. 27, 1982 to Wagner. This tool is a curved metal pick that is embedded in a pen-shaped holder. Again, this tool is designed for nonprofessional use.
Yet another type of dental tool currently available is a heavy scaler manufactured by dvt Dental ab of Sweden which consists of a scaling device having a single curve manufactured from an extruded triangular-shaped metal and embedded in a plastic handle. One of the problems with this device is that since it is manufactured from an extruded triangular-shaped metal; the metal cannot be easily curved. This limits the device to a single-curve device.